


Fires After Midnight

by Nomelah



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drama, Explicit Language, F/M, Kissing, accidentally rewrote the script from the killing Eve season one finale, i was like: huh. That’s familiar., idiots don’t know how to confess their love for one another, overuse of additional tags
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-22
Updated: 2020-06-22
Packaged: 2021-03-04 00:27:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24864535
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nomelah/pseuds/Nomelah
Summary: You found yourself unable to tear your eyes away as you examined his scars and new wrinkles and the way his buzzed hair was turning silver at his temples, any words you may have had dying on the tip of your tongue.“You’re getting old.”The words slipped out before you could stop them....There’s something about fires after midnight, or when they die down, that secrets tend to spill.
Relationships: Reaper | Gabriel Reyes/Reader
Comments: 9
Kudos: 79





	Fires After Midnight

“I used to go camping with my uncle every summer.” 

You looked up from the fire, waiting for him to continue. His dark eyes reflected the jumping orange flames, but his gaze was hundreds of miles away. 

“We’d drive from LA to Corn Springs, and as a kid it felt like the drive took eight hours. But I loved going to the desert with him.” Reyes flashed his teeth in a lopsided grin, his eyes focusing in on the fire. He didn’t seem to want to add anything, content to let the words hang above the crackling flame. A log popped. You jumped, eyes following the embers as they floated up and into the starry sky. 

“How long _was_ the drive?” You finally spoke, swatting at a mosquito that had landed on your bare thigh. Reyes chuckled, a deep and hearty sound that managed to warm you more than the fire the two of you had made on the cliff overlooking the Blackwatch headquarters in the mountains.

“Just three hours. But my uncle Adrian could make it in two hours and fifteen minutes by speeding.” He paused, leaning back in his folding chair and lifting his can of beer to his lips. “Looking back, I can’t believe we were never ticketed.” You grinned, shaking your head good-naturedly. The night air was getting chilly, raising goose bumps along any exposed skin. You drew your legs up to your chest, wrapping your arms around them and resting your chin on your knees. Reyes sighed. “What about you?”

“Hmm?” 

“You ever go camping as a kid?” His eyes slid up to yours from across the fire, dark and inquisitive. His usually tense face was relaxed, but the firelight made scars and lines look deeper. You could look at them and remember what each scar was from. The nick on his nose where an omnic slicer had almost taken his eye out in Madrid six years ago. Or that deep cut over his cheekbone, from when a cable had snapped and lashed his cheek. And the one under his lower lip, barely visible over the top of his goatee. He’d been racing McCree on one of the running trails, bragging a storm about how his record hadn’t been broken yet, when he’d tripped on a root and bit clean through his lip. You found yourself unable to tear your eyes away as you examined his scars and new wrinkles and the way his buzzed hair was turning silver at his temples, any words you may have had dying on the tip of your tongue. 

“You’re getting old.” 

The words slipped out before you could stop them. 

“I mean-.” You stammered, face burning as you dropped your eyes, there was a sick feeling in your gut as he was quiet for a second. He finally chuckled, light and airy, and though still jittery, you found a breathy, nervous laugh escaping you.

“No, no need. I’m getting up there, ain’t I?” You allowed yourself a glimpse up at him, his demeanor was light. “Least my hair isn’t as white as Reinhardt’s. And Morrison, he’s looking pretty beat lately. You see the silver he’s sporting?” He took a swig of his beer. 

“Oh yeah.” You laughed, “you can still get it.” Again, the words had found their way from your lips without your permission. Reyes choked, his eyes flying up to you as he quickly wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. God, were you that buzzed? Or was it the fire? The sky? Your friends in high school used to swear up and down there was some weird magic about bonfires after midnight that got everyone around the fire sharing fucked up secrets. Maybe they were right. The two of you had done fires up here before, why were you like this tonight? That nervous feeling flooded over you, but he was grinning when he pulled his hand away.

“You think about that a lot? Your commanding officer, getting it?” His voice was teasing and unconcerned. You don’t think your face could have gotten any hotter. You took a long sip of your own beer, stalling for time.

The honest answer? Yes. It was troubling, how much you thought of him as you showered, or late at night when you couldn’t sleep, or when you went to the closest bar, twenty miles away in that little village, and tried to find people to spend the night with. How many times had you tried to picture his face as someone else went down on you, or as you used your fingers to get the job done. How often did you imagine the way he’d groan your name as he bottomed out in you. Or how he’d whisper how he loved you in your ear after sex. But these thoughts were completely inappropriate and would make him uncomfortable and ruin your friendship. He never needed to know how much you thought about him.

You smacked your lips, giving him an exaggerated ‘ahh’ and plastering a big stupid cheeky smirk on your face that you hoped made you look less flustered than you let on.

“All the fucking time commander.” You uncurled yourself, trying to feign lazily stretching out. Truth be told, despite the chilly air you were hot and uncomfortable. He watched you with a sudden interest you tried not to notice. “So Corn Springs huh?” Your voice was hoarse. You cleared your throat, taking another sip of your beer and finishing it off.

He watched you for a moment longer before flicking his eyes back down to the fire, his scarred face relaxing some. He finished his beer, crushing it with ease on the armrest of his chair and dropping the tin circle onto the ground. 

“Yeah, it was a park out in the desert.” Reyes gestured vaguely to the cooler next to you. You set down your beer, popping open the cooler and grabbing his usual, holding it up for him to see. He gave you a short nod, and you got up to give it to him. “There were only a dozen or so campsites, really secluded. And there was a hiking trail that climbed up the mountains, with these ancient Native American carvings in them. I was obsessed as a kid.” The fire popped again, shooting a flurry of glowing orange into the sky. You stood next to him, his face around chest height, but his eyes fixed somewhere distant in the fire. Reyes seemed to realize you were there, snapping from his thoughts and smiling (in a manner you could only call softly, but that was ridiculous, Reyes was compassionate but hardened, soft wasn’t a fitting word) up at you as you handed him the beer, his fingers brushing yours as he took it. “Thanks.”

“You’re welcome.” You mumbled, turning to walk back around the fire. He caught your hand, that strange soft look hardening into something alert and concerned. The gentle grip on your hand released as you turned back towards him.

“Hey, are you okay?” Reyes’ voice was hushed, his dark eyes following yours as you tried as best you could to keep your cool.

“Oh yeah, just tired. Long week!” You pitched your voice a little louder and lighter. “Jesse’s been moaning and groaning to me about the latest training regimen and the change of staff in the mess hall. Genji has been extra upset lately, nearly caved my head in while sparring on Wednesday. And my door code was outdated, so Athena made me change it, and I’m just thinking about how I’m gonna get back and forget the damned code again, then I’ll get frustrated and be drunk and tired and you know how I wanna cry when I get too tired and-.”

“Hey, hey, hey, slow down.” You felt the telltale tightening of your throat and heat coming to your face, and your eyes were starting to water, and you felt just so… frustrated. “Scooch your chair over here.” His eyes followed you as you brought the chair over, fighting to keep your emotions on lockdown. The folding chair creaked as you flopped down unceremoniously next to him. “Anything else?” 

_I don’t know how I feel about you, but it’s not the way I should feel._

If his stare lasted any longer you thought you would spontaneously combust. You could feel his eyes burning a trail into your face as you kept your eyes clenched shut, trying to convince yourself you could keep a lid on it, even as a hot weepy tear managed to escape.

“ _Are_ you ok?” His voice was frustratingly gentle, but there was a bite of worry in his tone. You barked a laugh, hoping to ease his mind, coughing to cover the way your voice hitched uncomfortably in your throat. Another tear threatened to spill, and you swiped at it, rubbing your eyes harder than necessary with the heels of your palms.

“God, yeah, I’m sorry. I didn’t have dinner. It’s just alcohol on an empty stomach, got drunk faster than I’d thought I would. Tired and drunk is a funny combo with me. Don’t worry.”

He looked unconvinced, the furrow between his brows deepening as they drew together further. Reyes set his beer on the ground next to his foot. There was the tiniest of pouts on his lips and it took everything in you to not fixate on them.

“How are you my best infiltrator? You can lie and act your way into some pretty fuckin’ tight places, and yet you’re one of the shittiest liars I’ve met, and I come across a lot of liars in this line of work.”

“God, just fucking drop it Reyes.” You snapped, whipping your head over to look at the man, meeting his shocked face with a bitter, red-eyed glare.

“What has gotten into you?”

“Apologies, _sir._ I’ll watch my language.” You launched yourself up and onto your feet. ”Please fucking drop it, Commander Reyes.”

The disbelief on his face hardened into anger, dark brown eyes narrowing back at you.

“Well now I can’t.” You scoffed. He stood, knocking over his can and spilling beer on the ground. He didn’t bother to fix it, too focused on you. “I’m worried about you.”

“I don’t need you to be!”

“I’m your CO.”

“Exactly! You’re under no obligation to care, Reyes!”

There was a heavy pause.

“That’s not fair.” Reyes' voice was quiet, almost hurt, the expression on his face withering. He wasn’t exactly wrong, having been your commanding officer for almost seven years now. Somewhere along the line you’d become friends. Family almost. Clearly. That was the whole problem.

It was sick. You felt simultaneously that you’d willingly let go of the wheel, allowing yourself cruelty and harsh words in order to drive away any tenderness and familiarity, but that you couldn’t take control and stop yourself from lashing out. 

“Why can’t you talk to me?” Reyes took a hesitant step closer. You whipped back around, jabbing a finger at his chest.

“You’re my fucking CO. We’re not friends.”

“I don’t believe you for a fuckin’ second, and I know you don’t think that. What happened? Did something go wrong on your last trip? Did someone hurt you?” His voice had sharpened, his hands had come up to grip your biceps, urgency behind his hold. “Are you being threatened? Blackmailed? Who is it?”

_”You!”_

Reyes’ face, with all its scars and aging lines and handsome features tightened into a look of confusion that seemed so alien from his usual confident demeanor. His hands dropped limply to his sides. The dying firelight barely lit the side of his face.

“I-.”

“I care more than I should. I think of you all the time. I wonder about what you’re doing. Who you’re spending your free time with. I think about the way you say my name, and the look on your face when you see me after a mission, and your scars, and all these things. And I can’t do anything about it, Gabriel, because I don’t wanna live without what I have, and yet it’s not enough to live with.”

_Well that’s that. Nice while it lasted. Blackwatch, you were fun. Time to tender my resignation._

“Fuck.” You finally took a deep, shaky breath in, the tears now flowing. It was hard to focus on his face, so you let your head fall back to look at the starry sky. Your breath caught, and there was a disgusting little sob. “God I’m so sorry.” You hiccuped. 

Reyes stammered, desperately trying to find his response. 

“That’s-.”

“I’ll talk to the Strike Commander about a transfer tomorrow morning. I’ll go to EcoPoint Antarctica. You’ll never see me again and we can just forget about this.” You choked, unable to regain any semblance of being put together.

“I don’t want to.” The words came out quiet and almost unsure. They were so unexpected, your shaky breaths paused, your head turning so fast to look at him that it was a shock you didn’t get whiplash. “I don’t want to forget about this, or you.” You short-circuited. 

“I don’t understand…”

“I want you to stay here. I want-.” Reyes eyes clenched shut, his posture hunched over in defeat as he faltered. “I didn’t want to pressure you or cross any lines. I never wanted to say anything. I-.” 

The silence was tense and heavy as you both attempted to reconcile both with what had been spoken, and left unsaid. Your steps were quiet as you shuffled towards him, closing the distance slowly, before you unclenched your fists, lifting your arms and sliding them around his waist. He was tense for a horrible moment, and then melted into your touch, wrapping his broad arms around you and pulling you closer, his face nestling into the crook of your shoulder. You molded into his body, breathing in the scent of campfire and him from the dark grey hoodie he loved. His heart was pounding, and for some reason that made you laugh, a lightheaded airy sound.

You could have stayed like that for hours. 

It must have been minutes before he reluctantly pulled away, his dark eyes searching yours. His arms were dropping slowly to his sides, hands trailing down your arms until his fingers were brushing yours. Your gaze flickered down to his lips, his mouth was parted ever so slightly. 

Hesitantly, giving him enough time to stop you, you leaned up, rising onto your tiptoes. Your eyelids fluttering shut, close enough to feel his hot breaths on your lips. You closed the gap, finally bringing your lips to his. 

He responded instantly, but softly, with a gentle force behind his movements, his goatee scratching your face. He tasted like the beer he’d been having all night. His calloused hands drifted upwards, cupping your face, and you found your hands holding his. You couldn’t help the smile that made its way into the chaste kiss, you could feel him mirroring it. This time, you were the first to pull away, and a goofy grin had plastered itself on his blushing face.

“I have wanted to do that forever.” He murmured, dark eyes flicking between yours. Your heart pounded in your chest, and you breathlessly smiled up at him, barely able to whisper the words to him.

“Then do it again.”

**Author's Note:**

> me, crawling out of my cave after 2 years of not posting or updating, hauling a mysteriously shaped sack over my shoulder, shielding my face from the sun and grumbling something you can’t quite make out, dumping the contents of the sack in the dirt, and scurrying back into my cave: Have a tender Gabe fic, bitch


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